Precision ball drop



April 16, 1968 H. s. HOFFMAN 3,378,166

PRECISION BALL DROP Filed March 7, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

HOWARD S. HOFFMAN F WM;

AGENT April 16, 1968 H. s. HOFFMAN PREC I S ION BALL DROP s She et s -Sheet 2 Filed March '7, 1967 .N m W S. m H

April 16, 1968 H. s. HOFFMAN PRECISION BALL DROP 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March '7, 1967 N: NM O2 Nm Q: 83

INVENTOR.

HOWARD S. HOFFMAN United States Patent Jersey Filed Mar. 7, 1967, Ser. No. 621,166 15 Claims. (Cl. 221-93) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A precision ball drop for one or more like sized balls has one stationary member and one movable member usually reciprocated a distance equal to and not less than the radius of the ball. The movable member has flutes each adapted to receive and vertically guide a column of balls to an angled fluted passageway continuation in which, at one limit of movement, an abutment on the stationary member is in the way of the flow of balls in the angled fluted passageway. At the other limit of the reciprocation, the balls are moved from in the way of the abutment and by gravity move further downwardly in the angled fluted passageway until the lowest ball rests on an angled support of the fixed member and against a spacer block carried by the movable member. Upon reciprocation to the first limit of movement the column of balls is moved by the fluted passageway so that the lowermost ball against the spacer block is moved in the way of a vertically disposed precision sized and located downward discharge passageway whence the lowermost ball is discharged by gravity downwardly while thenext above ball is engaged by the abutment on the stationary member. At every full cycle of reciprocation one ball is precisely dropped from the discharge of each fluted passageway.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention pertains to the general class of article dispensing and more particularly to those subclasses in which from plural sources, stacks or compartments the item or items are fed and with dispensing from plural sources by a single actuation and with selection of number of sources. Also the subclasses with means for blocking or disabling, ejector or releaser and by engagement with slot, notch or protuberance. Also of note are the subclasses having mechanical release or separation of article with dispensing plural articles and with separately acting series controllers.

Description of the prior art A precision dispenser of spherical objects has been a prime need for many years and has been the subject of many US. patents. Representative of the patents proposing to solve this need are the following: US. Patent No. 2,683,554 to Mulhauser, Jr. of July 13, 1954, in which spherical pills are guided for feeding into a single column and are brought in the way of a slide adapted to receive the lowest pill from a single column and one at a time dispense a pill upon the cycling of the slide. This apparatus has no means for agitation and is adapted to dispense only a single column of spherical objects. A ball dispensing machine shown in the US. Patent No. 3,244,319 to Fessman of Apr. 5, 1966, likewise discharges a series of balls one at a time, this being done in a continuous manner by rotating a ball ejector dispensing element. A vending machine as in US. Patent No. 3,128,011 to Bleiman of Apr. 7, 1964, provides means for dispensing gum balls, and a tablet dispenser is shown in US. Patent No. 3,102,662 to Crabtree of Sept. 3, 1963. Other patents representative of the art are shown in US. Patent No.

1,355,583 to Zeidler of Oct. 12, 1920; US. Patent N1 2,915,217 to Chaplinski of Dec. 1, 1959, and a reactc valve to Bromley, US. Patent No. 3,253,738 of May 3; 1966.

The present invention is adapted to dispense in respons to an actuation one or more spherical objects at a precis time and into a precise configuration which may be a con. plete circle with the balls touching or tangent to one ar other in a precise circle. In particular the invention prc vides apparatus for the dispensing of balls of a given num her in a precisely oriented position and into, for example a ball bearing retainer such as ball bearing wheels 0 rollers. These wheels or rollers may use unground ball for forming hearings in which no spacer is provided. I1 particular the assembly of ball retaining units usually re quires a precise high-speed operation in which the appa ratus positively delivers a precise placing of the balls i1 the receiving member.

In none of the above or other known prior art device is there provided apparatus of the character of the devicl of this invention in which a ball drop is adapted to pre cisely dispense a pattern of balls simultaneously into 2 configuration such as a complete circle or linear when of tangentially engaged balls. It is contemplated that tht apparatus to be shown and described Will, in response tc an actuation, deposit a precise configuration of like sizec balls in a pattern which may be circular, rectangular or linear. This pattern may have balls in a tangential contact or spaced in a geometrical pattern of selected configuration. It is only necessary that: the balls be of like size and as reduced to practice is usually with a size tolerance of plus or minus less than a thousandth of an inch in diameter.

Summary of the invention This invention in one embodiment relates to a dispenser of spherical objects or a precision ball drop in which a supply of like sized balls is retained in a hopper in which there is disposed a fluted spindle moved in an oscillatory manner and adapted to act as an agitator to prevent any bridging of balls in the hopper and to provide pathways for the balls. The gravity filled vertical flutes form parallel colurnns o'f balls which are spaced in a predetermined pattern. The lower end of each column of balls in the spindle leads into a downwardly sloped and inwardly directed channel so as to bring the spheres toward a precisely oriented discharge passageway. Into this downwardly directe'd channel there is provided on a fixed member an abutment adapted to engage the leading ball of the column and prevent the forward progress of the balls. The abutment is of a determined Width so that as the spindle is oscillated the leading ball moves from in the Way of the abutment, and carried by a mating sloped surface on the fixed member moves downwardly on this sloped surface until it, the leading ball, engages a spacer block on the movable member. Moved once again to the other limit of movement, the leading or lowermost ball of the column is brought in the Way of a drop or discharge passageway of precise position. At this limit of operation 'the immediately above ball is brought in the way of and engaged by the abutment so that it and the other balls in the column are prevented from moving into the discharge pathway.

Other embodiments shown and to he hereinafter more fully described are ball drops having a linear discharge pattern. In one embodiment the balls are in tangential relationship to each other; in the other embodiment the balls are in a determined spaced relationship to each other, and in each embodiment there is provided a movable member having fluted passageways each having both a vertical and sloped portion. A fixed member is cooperatively spaced in relation to the movable member and provides an abutcut in the way of the sloped fluted passageway at one nit of movement of the movable member. At the other nit of movement the lowermost ball is moved from the autment and to a supported position at a lower portion E the sloped passageway. When the lowermost ball is .oved with the movable member to the first limit of tOVfiIl'IBIlt the lowermost ball is brought in the way of a :rtical discharge passageway with the abutment engaging to next lowermost ball in the sloped passageway.

It is an object of this invention to provide a precision all drop in which a iluted member is movable to agitate container 'or supply of like sized 'balls and in a flute to arry a column of balls to a position adjacent a precision isch arge passageway and when the lowermost ball is loved to the discharge passage-way means is provided to revent the downward flow of the next lowermost ball and ll other balls in the flute.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a preision ball drop in which, from a column of like size balls, ne ball is delivered to and through a precisely located 'ertical discharge, and adjacent the discharge is a beveled urface adapted to receive and retain the column of balls then the column is moved to one limit of operation, and when the column is moved to the other limit of operation, ll'llCh movement is at least the radial dimension of the all, the lowermost ball of the column is dropped by gravity through a vertical discharge while an abutment ising from the beveled slope engages and retains the next owermost ball.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide L precision ball drop apparatus in which a fluted member s movable to two limits of operation, each flute providing L passage and guideway for a plurality of like sized balls rod with the flute having a terminal portion thereof at a slope or angle to the initial vertical portion. A fixed mem- )fil' has a mating sloped surface parallel to the terminal iloped surface of the fluted member and with an abutnent extending from the sloped surface of the fixed memer is adapted to engage the fiuted passageway and halt the flow of balls therein when the iluted member is at one imit of operation. There is provided a stop means on the iuted member adapted to halt the fiow of balls at a lower point of the sloped surface when the fluted member is moved to the other limit of movement, and a discharge passageway in the fixed member is adapted to receive the .o-wermost ball as the fluted member is again moved to the first limit to bring the lowermost undischarged ball of the row of balls in the way of the abutment.

There has been outlined the most important feature of the precision ball drop or dispensing apparatus of this invention in order that the detailed description thereof which follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be more fully appreciated. Those persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception on which the present disclosure is based may be utilized as the basis for designing similar structures carrying out the several purposes of this invention.

There has been chosen a specific embodiment and two alternate embodiments of the invention for the purpose of illustration and description, and this embodiment and the two modifications thereof are shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS *FIG. 1 represents a sectional view showing the assembled dispensing apparatus of a preferred embodiment of this invention, the view taken substantially on the line 11 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 represents a fragmentary plan view looking downwardly on the dispensing apparatus, the view looking in the direction of the arrows 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 represents a plan view in an enlarged scale of an orienting dispensing plate and looking downwardly in the direction of the arrows 33 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 4 represent a sectional view of the orienting dis- 4 pensing plate of FIG. 3, the view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 represents a fragmentary view of the orienting dispensing plate and looking at a forty-five degree angle thereat and in the direction of arrows 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 represents a bottom view of a fluted spindle in an enlarged scale and taken on the line 66 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 7 represents a sectional view of the fluted spindle and taken on the line 77 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 represents a top view of the fluted spindle and looking in the direction of the arrows 88 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 represents a fragmentary isometric view of a fixed member of an alternate ball drop dispensing device and with the balls therefrom discharged in a linear tangential engagement;

FIG. 10 represents a fragmentary isometric view of a fluted movable member adapted to mate with the fixed member of FIG. 9;

FIG. ll represents a fragmentary isometric view of a fixed member similar to the member of FIG. 9 but with the balls arranged in a determined linear spaced relationship;

FIG. 12 represents a fragmentary isometric view of a fluted movable member adapted to mate with the member of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 represents a sectional view through the fixed and movable members of the ball drop in one limit of movement and taken on the line 13--13 of FIG. 17;

FIG. 14 represents a sectional view through the fixed and movable members of the ball drop of FIG. 13 in the other limit of movement and taken on the line 1414 of FIG. 17;

FIG. 15 represents the sectional view of FIG. 13 and showing a ball as dropped from the vertical discharge and into a ball receiving member;

FIG. 16 represents a fragmentary view taken on the line l6l6 of FIG. 13 and showing the relationship of the fixed and movable members of FIGS. 9 and 10; and

FIG. 17 represents a fragmentary view taken on the line 17-17 of FIG. 13 and showing the relationship of the fixed and movable members of FIGS. 11 and 12.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now in particular to the drawings in which like numbers refer to like members throughout the several figures and in particular to FIG. 1 in which a dispensing device generally indicated as 20 includes a bowl portion 22 shouldered and attached as by screws and dowels to a pedestal 24. A cover 26 is oriented and attached as by round head screws 28 and dowel 29 to the bowl 22. Within the bowl portion 22 there is indicated a supply of balls 32 which may completely fill the bowl or which may be at a lesser level such as the level indicated by balls shown in phantom outline and designated as 32a. These balls which may be of the unground variety are commercially produced of a like size generally within a few tenths of a thousandth of an inch of a given diameter and are disposed to lay on a sloped portion 33 of the bowl 22 so as by gravity to roll into flutes 34 of spindle 36. This spindle 36 has a beveled lower end into which are formed fiutes to be later described and in conjunction with this beveled lower end there is a bottom orienting plate 38 having a mating beveled portion 39 which is sized and faced to receive and support the spindle 36. Mounted within the lower end of the spindle 36 is a spacer plug 40 to be hereinafter more fully described.

Referring now to both FIGS. 1 and 2 it is to be noted that the cover 26 is oriented in a precise respect to the bowl 22 by means of the dowel 29 and further that the pedestal 24 and bowl 22 are maintained in a positive orientation by means of screws 41 and a dowel 42. Attached to and carried by the cover 26 is a flanged bearing 44 are stop or shoulder portions 43 and 49 having countercap screws 46 and with the bearing axially oriented and sized so that an upper shaft 47 may be rotated therein. Extending upwardly from and as a part of this hearing 44 are stop or shoulder portions 48 and 49 having counterbores into which the cap screws 46 are seated. These screws extend through counterbored holes in the shoulder portions of bearing 44 and enter and are engaged by tapped holes (not shown) in cover 26. Particularly noted is the fact that these stop portions 48 and 49 have diverging faces 50 and 51 which establish and limit the amount of swing of a pivot arm 54 carried on the reduced upper diameter 55 of shaft 47 and maintained thereon by means of a nut 56, washer 57 and threaded portion 58 of the shaft 47.

The bottom portion of the arm 54 is slotted as indi cated at 59 so as to engage in a precise and oriented manner a flattened or keying portion 60 of the upper portion of shaft 47. This key portion 60 is a snug driving fit with the mating slotted or milled recess 59 in the under portion of arm 54 and provides positive rotational movement of the shaft 47 in response to the movement of the arm 54. In the rightwardly extending portion of this arm there is formed a slot 62 having a transverse pivot pin hole 64 through the two side portions defining a clevis into which slot may be brought the pivot end 66 of a pneumatic cylinder 68. The actuation of this cylinder rotates the spindle as one of the preferred means of actuation of spindle 36, however it is readily seen that other means of stroking may be provided in order to move the arm 54 to the limits as determined by the diverging faces 50 and 51 of the stop portions 48 and 49.

In a recess in the under portion of the pedestal 24 the bottom orienting plate 38 is maintained in a precise oriented position therein by means of dowel 7t) and cap screws 72. The outer face of plate 38 and bottom surface of pedestal 24 provides a bottom plane or surface for the apparatus against which surface there may be provided a feeding device indicated in phantom outline as 74. This feeding device may be adapted to advance the inner and outer members of a bearingroller and the like, however, it is only contemplated that the ball drop apparatus will dispense balls in a precise pattern as seen in phantom outline and identified as 3215 into the way of the feeding device 74.

Referring next to the bottom orienting dispensing plate 38 as seen in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 it is to be noted that a chamfer 76 is made at forty-five degrees and, in the present embodiment, is of a precise size and extends downwardly about three-fifths the depth of the member 38.

An internal diameter indicated as extending from point 77 to a substantially diametrical point 78 is formed to provide a shouldered portion. Into this shouldered portion there are formed in the present instance thirteen scallops 80, which scallops are semi-circular in cross section and precisely disposed radially and, as reduced to practice, with their centers precisely positioned with deviations of less than a thousandth of an inch. Intermediate these scalloped portions 80 and formed so as to coincide with the slope or chamfer 76 are angularly disposed semi-circular scallops 82 seen in profile in FIG. 5 and providing a sloped passageway between each of the vertical scallops 80. These sloped passageways 82 are also of precise determination and are exactly spaced intermediate the scallops 80 and are within tolerances of a few tenths of a thousandth of an inch. The remaining material in the shouldered portion forms abutments 84 between each of the sloped scallops 82, these abutments 84 providing ball stops to be hereinafter more fully described in conjunction with the operation of the apparatus. It is to be noted that, as reduced to practice, this member 38 is of hardened tool steel brought to a Rockwell reading of approximately fiftyfive to sixty C scale with all of the surfaces carefully ground so that the bottom member will stand the wear of millions of cycles. It is noted that in FIG. 4 the scallops 80 and 82 are incompletely shown as in the side view the intersecting and overlapping lines toward the sides ten to confuse the illustration. The scallops provide th final precise ball discharge positions.

Referring next to FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 there is shown it detail the fluted spindle generally designated 36 and whicl in this embodiment has thirteen flutes 34 formed therein Each flute is sized to provide a snug rolling guidewag for the balls 32. The upper portion of this spindle has reduced diameter which has its sides milled away in precise orientation with the construction of the flutes 3 to provide sides 92 and 93 to snugly engage a like former milled keyway in the shaft 47 The shaft portion extending above this formed key portion of diameter 90 is a pilo diameter portion 94 sized to mate with and nest in a precision socket formed in the shaft 47. On the opposite ent of the spindle a bevel 96 is precisely fromed to mate witl and slidably rest upon the bevel 39 formed in the bottorr orienting dispensing plate 38. This bevel has formed it its lower portion thirteen radially disposed continuatior. flutes 98, which flutes are precisely the same in width and depth as flutes 34, the flutes 98 continuing until they meet in a circle and in the present embodiment said flutes are formed at a forty-five degree angle to the axis of the spindle. In the present embodiment these flutes are designed to bring the thirteen flutes filled with balls 32 into an arrangement whereby the thirteen balls are spaced in or near a minimum circle. Upon actuation of the spindle the thirteen balls are simultaneously dropped from the apparatus through the several scallops 80. cooperatively mounted in the lower portion of the spindle 36 is a shoul dered retainer 40 which limits the inward flow of the balls. This retainer is in the form of a shouldered plug 40 shown in phantom outline in FIG. 7 and is precisely sized in so far as its diameter is concerned so that the inward travel of the balls 32 is precisely controlled.

USE AND OPERATION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 through 8 it is contemplated, and as reduced to practice is provided, that cover 26 with shaft 48 rotatably mounted therein, may be lifted from the bowl 22 after the removal of the screws 28. Into the open bowl a determined quantity of balls 32 is fed such as to a level indicated as 32a. A sleeve, not shown, may be provided on the spindle so that after filling to the selected level, the shaft 47 is assembled to the spindle 36 with the pilot 94 seating in a precision socket 100 in shaft 47 and with the sides 92 and 93 oriented to slide into precise keyed engagement with a precisely milled keyway portion of the shaft 47. Although the cover of this invention is shown as being adapted for lifting from the bowl 22 it is also contemplated that a filling pipe not shown may be placed out of the way of the lever 54 and that a determined amount of balls 32 may be fed through the pipe and into the bowl in response to the amount of actuation of the cylinder 68.

With the apparatus assembled as in FIG. 1 the spindle 36 is rotatably retained in a closed sliding fit in a cylindrical bore 102 formed in pedestal 24 and with the bevel 96 resting on the mating bevel 39 of the bottom orienting dispensing plate 38. As the lever 54 is moved to one limit of operation as seen in FIG. 1 the balls 32 are agitated and the lowermost ball in the angular flute 98 rests upon the abutment or stop 84. At this point, of course, no further drop or advance of the balls is possible. When the fluted spindle 36 is rotated to the other limit of operation equal at least to the radius of the ball and to the other limit of movement, the lowermost ball moves from in the way of the abutment 84 and proceeds downwardly in angular flute 82 until it reaches an apex or internal point such as 77 or 78 at which point the ball is retained between the slope of the point and outer diameter surface of the spacer plug 40. As exemplified, in the one limit of movement thirteen balls rest upon the thirteen internal point portions so that when the spindle 36 is cycled the ute 98 moves from the position in alignment with the ngular scallops 82 to an alignment with the vertical :allops 80 whereupon the thirteen lowermost balls 32 are .multaneously dropped through scallops 89 and from the ottom of the bottom orienting dispensing plate 38. A free ow of balls through flutes 34 and 98 is prevented by the ngagement of the next above ball with the abutment 84 llllCh prevents any unwanted discharge of the column of alls.

It is, of course, realized that if a lesser quantity of alls are to be dropped, and they are to be discharged in circular pattern, then it is only a matter of computation s to the minimum discharge diameter required for the Ialls and from this minimum discharge diameter a fortyive degree bevel or other selected angular bevel is prodded to run outwardly to an outer diameter of the spinlle into which the desired number of flutes is formed. It is tlso to be noted that if an irregular pattern is desired, this tattern need be laid out only as to the final disposition If the balls and then flutes inscribed within this pattern provided to carry the balls down to the discharge point. n the preferred embodiment the dispensing operation is :alculatcd so that the ball drop provides a fluted central )ortion into which the balls are fed for an accumulation and precise orientation. From each outer flute an inwardy and downwardly directed flute is provided to bring he ball to the desired dispensing point and from each tngular fluted channel the lowermost ball is moved to .he discharge point. A stop means for the retaining of be next above ball and all other above balls is provided luring discharge. It is readily seen that flutes may be emitted and the pattern altered to suit the final ball drop pattern.

DESCRIPTION OF ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENTS Referring next to FIGS. 9 and there is shown an alternate embodiment in which balls are arranged for dispensing in a linear pattern. A fixed member 110 is adapted to mate with a movable member 112 and as seen in FIG. 9 the fixed member 110 has a vertically disposed face 114 terminating in a forty-five degree slope 115 which proceeds downwardly at this angle to intersect a shelf portion 116. This shelf portion extends horizontally for a short distance thence extends vertically downward forming wall 117 which intersects a small slope portion 118 also at forty-five degrees and terminating in a vertical surface 119. In this particular arrangement the balls 32 are intended to be dropped in a linear tangential relationship to each other, therefore, into the shelf portion defined by surfaces 116 and 117 there are provided scallops 122, which scallops are precisely shaped and ground to exactly receive and retain the balls in a tangential relationship to each other. Into the lower portion defined by surfaces 118 and 119 there are provided vertical ball drop scallops 124 which in the present instance are spaced exactly midway of the ball guideway defined by scallops 122. In other words, scallops 124 are spaced longitudinally from scallops 122 exactly the radial dimension of the balls 32 being dispensed from this apparatus.

Referring particularly to FIG. 10 it is to be noted that flutes 126 are provided in a vertical face portion of the movable member 112 and at a determined distance from the bottom these flutes 126 terminate in flutes 128 at a forty-five degree angle to the vertical face. These flutes are particularly sized to retain and guide the balls 32 in tangential relationship to each other. The angled flutes 128 are sized and spaced so that the balls 32 as they are carried downwardly by surface 115 are retained by flutes 128. The balls by gravity pass down the slope 115 until they reach the abutments formed of the shelf portion defined by surfaces 116 and 117 and between scallops 122 of the fixed member 110. When the balls 32 are moved in the way of scallops 122 they move downwardly therethrough and onto the surface 118. A spacer member 130 of movable member 112 has a retaining face 131 disposed so as to retain the balls 32 on the shelf extending portion defined between the scallops 124 and the face 131. When the movable member is moved so that each lowermost ball is brought in the way of the scallops 124, these scallops and face 131 provide a like number of precise ball drop passageways.

Referring next to FIGS. 11 and 12 it is to be noted that a linear ball drop similar to the ball drop of FIGS. 9 and 10 is illustrated but in this particular arrangement the balls are predeterminedly spaced from each other. A fixed member 140 like member or as a continuation thereof has an upper vertical face 142 engaging a sloped surface 144 interrupted by a shelf portion defined by horizontal surface 145 and vertical surface 146. This shelf portion extends upwardly from a sloped surface 148 terminating in a vertical face 149. Into the shelf portion defined by surfaces 145 and 146 there are provided scallops 152 each of which are precisely sized so as to provide an angled continuation guideway of the slope 144 for the passage therethrough of like sized balls 32, said passageways being spaced apart a precise selected amount. Into the lower portion defined by sloped surface 148 there is provided vertical drop scallops 154 each precisely sized and spaced so that balls 32 when brought in the way thereof are dropped in a precisely spaced linear pattern.

Referring next to FIG. 12, it is to be noted that in a movable member 160 adapted to mate with member 140, there is provided in the vertical face portion 162 a plurality of spaced flutes 164. Each of these flutes terminate in inwardly angled flute passageways 166 formed in a forty-five degree face 167. These angled flutes terminate at a spacer block 168 having a vertical front face 16-9 to be hereinafter more fully described. When brought into precise face-to-face relationship with each other the members and 160 have face 142 in sliding contact with face 162 and slope 144 in sliding contact with surface 167. The flutes 164 and 166 define a vertical and angular passageway for the precise guidance of balls 32 so that as the balls are brought downwardly to the shelf defined by surfaces and 146 they are impeded by the abut ments remaining in the shelf 145. When the movable member is moved to bring the lowermost balls to scallops 152 each ball further moves downwardly until it rests upon slope 143 and engages the face 169. After the lowermost ball is moved in the way of the vertical discharge scallops 154 and in combination with surface 169 precisely drops through the vertical passageway to be more fully described hereinafter.

Referring next to FIGS. 13, 14 and 15 there is shown a step-by-step relationship of the movement of the balls 32 as they are moved downwardly by gravity to be dropped from the apparatus as defined by the combination of the fixed and movable members 110 and 112 or fixed and movable members 140 and 160. This relationship is more fully described in the use and operation to follow.

USE AND OPERATION OF THE ALTERNATE EMBODIMENTS Assuming that the fixed and movable members 110 and 112 of FIGS. 9 and 10 are at one extreme of movement for dispensing of balls 32, the sectional view of FIG. 13 shows the vertical arrangement of balls 32 retained by the front face surface of 114 in fixed member 110 and by the flutes 126 in movable member 112. From this vertical arrangement the balls then are angled to the right and move downwardly on surface 115 as confined by flutes 12 8 until the lowermost ball engages the horizontal surface 116 of the abutment whereupon the downward flow of balls is stopped.

Referring next to the sectional view of FIG. 14 wherein the movable member is illustrated as having been moved an amount exactly the radial dimension of the ball 32, whereupon by gravity, the lowermost ball 32 moves downwardly within the scallop 122 and flute 128 until the ball rests upon the surface 118 of the shelf extending portion 9 and against the face 131 of the spacer block 130 whereby the downward flow of balls 32 is stopped.

Referring next to the sectional view of FIG. wherein the fixed member is shown as in FIG. 13 with the movable member 112 having been moved again to the position of FIG. 13. As now seen, the lowermost ball of FIG. 14 has moved over in the way of the vertical scallops 124 and in the passageway defined by this scallop and the face 131 of the member 130 the lowermost ball 32 has moved through the drop passageway as shown by the arrow. From this passageway the ball has dropped into a member 172 having a ball recess 174 into which the lowermost ball 132 is shown in ball discharged position.

Referring next to FIG. 16, the precise spacing of members 110 and 112 is shown as seen on the line 1616 of FIG. 13 wherein the ball 32 indicated in phantom outline may be precisely dropped through the passageway of the scallop 124 and face 131 while the abutment defined on the surface 116 impedes the passageway downwardly of the next above balls carried by the guideway 128. It is to be noted that as the balls conducted down scallops 122 move to the lower position seen in FIG. 14 that each ball is retained by the surface 118 and the surface 131 so as to prevent a further downward discharge of the balls in the fluted passageway.

Referring finally to FIG. 17 and the precise spacing of members 140 and 160 it is to be noted that balls 32 carried in fluted passageway 164 move vertically downward until they engage the surface 144. The balls are then carried at an angle and to the right and as guided by flutes 166 move downwardly until the balls engage the surface 145, in which position they are in the arrangement as seen in FIG. 13. When member 160 has been moved to its other limit of movement as in FIG. 14, which limit is the exact distance as defined by the pitch from the center line of scallop 152 to the center line of the scallop 154, this pitch distance is not less than the radial dimension of the ball 32, and after moving to scallop 152 the balls roll down through said scallops 152 and rest upon the surface 148 and against the face 169 of spacer block 168. Upon moving to the opposite cycle limit as in FIG. 13 the lowermost ball 32 as seen in FIG. 15 is dropped through the passageway defined by the scallop 154 and face 169 and is shown in phantom outline in FIG. 17 and as shown by the arrow in FIG. 15 is dropped from the dispenser.

The sequence shown in FIGS. 13, 14 and 15 illustrate the orderly progression of the column of balls downwardly whether as in the rotary device shown in FIGS.1 through 8 or in the linear devices shown in FIGS. 9 through 17. At the one limit of movement as the balls 32 are being discharged in the various vertical scalloped passageways, the next above ball is retained by the abutment defined immediately above the discharge passageway. As the movable member is moved to the other extreme of oscillatory movement the ball previously engaged by the abutment moves downwardly through the angular scallop to the lower sloped shelf and against the face of the spacer member whereby the entire column of balls in the fluted passageway moves a short distance downwardly. When the movable member is once again moved to the outer limit of the cycle of movement the lowermost ball is brought in the way of the discharge drop and the immediately above ball in the fluted passageway is brought in the way of and on the horizontal surface of the abutment whereby the column of balls in the fluted passageway is retained as the lowermost ball is discharged.

It is also to be noted that the oscillating movement must be at least an amount equal to the radial dimension of the ball 32 being disposed. It is also to be noted that each ball 32 must be of a like size so that in the dispensing thereof the limit of movement brings the immediately above ball in the way of and on to the horizontal surface of the abutment so that the fluted column of balls is not accidentally discharged or so that no jamming occurs.

It is to be also noted that, as reduced to practice, the

balls when in the position of FIG. 14 have the secon from the lowermost ball slightly above the horizontz abutment shelf so that when the movement to the othe limit is begun and completed the ball 32 is allowed to roI slightly downwardly on to the abutment surface as it i moved sideways and thereby allowing a gradual drop 0 the balls as they are rotated in the fluted passageway.

The cycling of the spindle apparatus of FIG. 1 and o the linear dispensing apparatus of FIGS. 9, 10, 11 and 12 often has complete cycles of movement made at speeds 0 one hundred or more cycles per minute when the ball 32 used with this apparatus is about one-eighth inch i1 diameter. However, larger balls often require a slightl slower cycling action. It is also noted that plastic balls 0 nylon or of like materials may be dispensed in the HbOVl apparatus and through the fluted passageways when tht balls are sufliciently accurate in size to be moved in th: manner above-described.

The vertical flutes shown in the above-described embodiments are provided as a preferred method of saving space. Those flute portions shown in a vertical position can, of course, still provide their guide function if and while formed to lay at an inclined angle, either as a continuation of the shown sloped flute or at another selected slope angle. It is only necessary that the balls to be dispensed be free to roll by gravity or other means to and down a short portion of the angled flute to the abutment, thence further downwardly through the angled scallop and finally to and through the vertical scallop discharge. The preferred flutes as shown have a portion thereof formed as a semi-circular configuration. This is not necessary as the flute or passageway may be a channel providing only a three point ball contacting guideway.

The drop pattern of balls may be made in any geometrical shape as long as the movable member is movable along each dimension of the shape a distance at least equal to the amount of the radial dimension of the ball. As suggested in the side-by-side arrangement of FIGS. 9 and 11 the pattern of balls can be both tangential and spaced on the same line or may be arranged in many other selected patterns.

The terms right, left, in, out," up, down, vertical and the like are applicable to the various ball drop embodiments shown and described in conjunction with the drawings. These terms are used merely for the purposes of description and do not necessarily apply to the position in which the various embodiments may be constructed or used.

Although the above-described embodiments have been described as being gravity fed it is of course realized that a vibratory motion could be applied to the dispenser to cause or assist in the flow of balls through the flutes. In like manner a pneumatic or hydraulic flow may be applied to the balls in the flutes to assist or cause the balls to flow toward the dispensing outlets, therefore the conception upon which the above-described ball drop is based and its many applications is not limited to the examples above-described but departures therefrom may be made within the scope of the accompanying claims and protection is sought to the broadest extent the prior art allows.

What is claimed is:

1. In a ball drop dispenser for like sized balls in which a selected number of columns of balls are fed from a supply of balls and are dispensed in response to a cycle of actuation so that one ball from each column is delivered in a predetermined pattern to a determined discharge location, said improvement comprising:

(a) a fixed member having a sloped face portion adapted to support a determined number of like sized balls;

(b) a movable member having a sloped face portion adapted to mate with the sloped face portion of the fixed member as the movable member is cycled to limits of motion at least equal to the radial dimension of the balls being dispensed;

(c) a selected number of flute-like passageways spaced and formed in the sloped face portion of the movable member, each flute sized to provide a roling guideway for a plurality of like sized balls;

(d) an abutment shelf portion extending outwardly from the sloped face portion of the fixed member and having formed therein a selected number of scallops disposed at the angle of the slope and providing a guideway through the abutment shelf for the downward passage of balls, the shelf portion between said angled scallops providing an abutment sized and spaced so as to extend into the flute of the movable member and when brought into alignment with the flute to impede the flow of balls therein;

(e) a spacer means carried by the movable member and providing for the limiing of the downward travel of the ball through the scallop in the abutment shelf portion of the fixed member, and

(f) a selected number of vertical scallops formed in the lower edge of the sloped surface of the fixed member, each vertical scallop spaced from the angled scallop in the abutment shelf a disiance at least equal to the ball radius and with the vertical scallop in alignment with the abutment portion in the shelf, the vertical scallop providing with the spacer means, a ball dispensing ,passageway of determined location,

vhere'by when the movable member is moved to one imit of operation a lowermost ball above the abutment s impeded by the abutment from proceeding downwardly ind when the movable member is moved to the other imit of operation this lowermost ball is displaced from in the Way of the abutment and moves downwardly in ;he angled scallop until it engages the spacer means and when the movable member is returned to the other limit of operation the lowermost ball is brought in the way of a vertical scallop for the discharge thereof through the vertical scallop while the next lowermost ball is impeded by the abutment from a downward flow.

2. A ball drop dispenser as in claim 1 in which the fixed and movable members have mating vertical face portions and with the vertical face portion of the movable member having a selected number of flutes formed there in, each vertical flute aligned and formed to provide a guideway for the downward travel of balls to and into the like sized flutes in the sloped face portion.

3. A ball drop dispenser as in claim 1 in which the flute-like passageways and scallops are at least channel shaped to provide at least a three point engagement support and guidance for the balls transported in the flute.

4. A ball drop as in claim 2 in which at least a portion of the vertical and sloped surfaces are disposed in mating planes of sufficient extent to provide for a dispensing of a plurality of balls in a linear pattern.

5. A ball drop as in claim 1 in which the flutes in the sloped portion and the vertical discharge scallops are sized and spaced so that the balls are dispensed in a linear and tangential relationship.

6. A ball drop as in claim 1 in which the flutes in the sloped portion and the vertical discharge scallops are sized and spaced so that a plurality of like sized balls are simultaneously dispensed in a determinedly spaced linear pattern.

7. A ball drop as in claim 1 in which the movable member extends into a supply of balls and as said member is moved it agitates the supply of balls to eliminate any bridging of the balls.

8. A ball drop as in claim 1 in which the ball dispensing pattern is a circular pattern, and in which the movable member is a spindle having a lower chamfered portion adapted to seat in and rotate in a mating and like chamfered portion in a bottom orienting and dispensing fixed member in which the abutments are arranged in a precise ci.cular pattern in a determined plane, in which the angled scallops have like portions laying in a conical plane, and in which the vertical scallops are arranged in a precise pattern lying in at least arcuate configurations.

9. A ball drop as in claim 8 in which the ball dispensing pattern is a circular pattern concentric with the axis of movement of the spindle.

10. A ball drop as in claim 8 in which the fixed member is a pedestal having a bore therethrough and the movable spindle member has a sidewall portion slidably retained in the pedestal bore, the sidewall portion having a determined number of flutes and sized to extend above the pedestal portion into a ball retaining means so as to agitate the balls as the spindle is cycled to its extreme limits of actuation.

11. A ball drop as in claim 9 in which the ball dispensing pattern is adapted to dispense the plurality of balls simultaneously and in a tangential relationship.

12. A ball drop as in claim 10 in which the spindle is connected to an arm movable to two limits of operation, the actuation of the arm being by a means for moving such as a pneumatic cylinder and the like.

13. A ball drop as in claim 11 in which the spacer means is a center plug of determined diameter, the plug mounted in said spindle so the diameter is concentric with the axis of rotation of the spindle.

14. A ball drop as in claim 1 in which the ball dispensing pattern lies in the way of arcs each spaced from an axis of movement of the movable member which is a spindle having a lower chamfered portion adapted to seat in and rotate in a mating and like chamfered portion is a bottom orienting and dispensing fixed member in which the abutments lay in a common plane at a right angle to the axis of movement of the spindle, in which like portions of the angular scallops lay in a common plane parallel to said common plane of the abutments and in which the vertical scallops have their axis of construction parallel to the axis of the spindle.

15. A ball drop as in claim 14 in which the column of balls carried by the spindle are fed by gravity from a supply of balls carried in a hopper surrounding the upper end of the spindle, said hopper having a ball retaining bottom portion sloped toward the spindle so as to permit the balls to roll by gravity toward the spindle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,244,319 4/1966 Fessman 221-203 3,294,284 12/1966 Chambers 221296X STANLEY H. TOLLBERG, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,378,166 April 16, 1968 Howard S. Hoffman It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

"Column 4, line 75, "are stop or shoulder portions 48 and 49 Haring counter-" should read maintained in position by means of'a dowel 45 and Column 6, line 16, "fromed" should read formed Signed and sealed this 12th day of August 1969.

(SEAL) Attest:

Efiward M. Fletcher, Jr. WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

